What We Can and Can't Control

President Jan E. Newman's talk, Teaching in the Savior's Way, touches on an important point that goes far beyond the concept of teaching. President Newman said that parents can't force their children to gain testimonies any more than we can force seeds to grow. All we can do is try to foster a nurturing environment.

Similarly, there are countless other things that lie either inside or outside of our control, and it's important to learn the difference. We can and should take control of and responsibility for the things that lie within our control, but at the same time, we should learn to accept the fact that some things are outside of our control, and we shouldn't spend too much time or energy trying to control them. It's like the Serenity Prayer says, "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

We all need the wisdom to know what does and does not lie within our spheres of influence, and we need to learn to accept the things we cannot forcibly change. It's important for us to do what we can, but we also shouldn't frustrate ourselves or burn ourselves out trying to do more than we can. We can only do so much. God expects us to do what we can, but no more, so it's important for us to figure out what we can and can't control.